Tis the season!
by Trainer Theta
Summary: Ash, Brock and Dawn are spending Christmas in Altomare. For Ash, that means a reunion with some old friends. But what is Dawn planning? And why does it involve mistletoe? Image credit goes to Latiar027.


**Well here it is. For those of you who have read my other fic, Clash with a titan, you would've been expecting this weeks ago. If you're new, then this fic is, of course on time and not a single day late at all whatsoever...I'm not fooling anyone am I? Anyway, I'm sorry for uploading this late, I've been ill recently and just haven't found the time to write. But here it is, slightly late but still here. This is my first attempt at a festive fic, and my first attempt at a humorous fic, so hopefully I've been successful in making you laugh or chuckle or giggle or even grunt...Well, onto the fic. Enjoy**

**Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon. If I did, I'd be rich and living it up in a massive mansion with a Ferrari and a brand new computer. I do own a pretzel...but not for long...**

* * *

"Ash, wait up!" Dawn cried after the boy. The city of Alto Mare was like a maze; the high buildings already swallowed them inside of the heart of the city of water.

"Ash, do you even know where you're going?" Brock shouted the boy. The raven haired trainer skidded to a halt, glanced around, before sprinting back to his friends.

"Uh, guess I…Forgot?" he chuckled. In his eagerness, he completely forgot the directions he received from a passer-by. Brock sighed, before walking a couple of meters ahead, glancing around a corner. He returned to the group.

"Alright, for once, Ash hasn't actually gotten us lost, It should be around here somewhere," Brock noted, relieved they wouldn't have to backtrack all the way to the docks. They had already spent hours wandering around the canals of the city.

"Where exactly are we going?" Dawn asked, irritated at her lack of knowledge; nobody had told her a thing.

"We're going to see an old friend," Ash beamed at the thought of the reunion. He turned and began walking forward, Brock and Dawn trailing behind.

After several more minutes of walking, they finally arrived. Dawn stared horrified at the trainer.

"You lead us halfway across the world to see a wall?!" she yelled, her penguin partner nodding in agreement from Dawn's arms. Ash shook his head, chuckling.

"Just wait," he said, before turning towards the wall. At this point, the sun had already started setting on the horizon, ready to conclude another day and take a rest. The rays were still peeking through the city, streaming into the alleyway they were in.

Taking a deep breath, Ash began walking forward towards the wall. Dawn stared at him, wondering just why he was going to walk into a solid brick wall. She was tempted to stop the trainer, to avoid any injuries, but a hand on her shoulder, courtesy of Brock, convinced her to stay put and watch the scene unfold.

Ash reached closer and closer, until miraculously, he started being absorbed by the wall. Dawn gasped, and even Brock raised an eyebrow; he had never actually been to the garden through this entrance. Ash pushed on, walking further into the consuming clutches of the wall, until he and his mouse partner were gone.

Dawn turned to look at Brock; curiosity filling her eyes. The breeder merely nodded, and walked towards the wall. Dawn sighed, not wanting to be left behind, so decided to follow the breeder through the mystery wall. Her vision faded for a second, but she kept walking nonetheless, and when sunlight hit her eyes, she ran towards the source, emerging into the most beautiful garden she'd ever seen. Ash turned to look at Dawn, amused, just as the brown haired breeder entered the garden; in Dawn's haste, she'd overtaken him.

"Well, what do you think?" Ash asked, beaming a smile towards the blunette. Dawn's mouth remained open, as she stared at the garden, which was now blanketed in a delicate sheet of pure white snow. Straining her eyes, Dawn spotted a pool, frozen over with glistening ice.

"I-its…Incredible!" she breathed, too stunned to form a complete sentence. All around her, nature thrived, even through the bitter chill of the winter snow. Ash chuckled at her, seeing her awe-struck expression.

"Come on, she's got to be here somewhere!" Ash suddenly exclaimed, sprinting off down the neat path, his footsteps moulding the snow around his trainers. He disappeared from view after a few seconds, as he went around a large flower bed on the pool's edge.

"Ash, wait up!" Dawn recovered, shouting after the boy and giving pursuit moments later. Brock shook his head, before following the blunette.

Ash rounded another corner, and immediately slammed into an unseen force, causing him to topple over to the cold ground. His attacker appeared in a shower of shimmering blue lights; a pair of red wings sprouted from the red and white torso. A long, slender neck was next to appear, stretching up and forming the creatures head, finishing as the tips of her ears. After a few seconds, the magnificent Pokémon floated above Ash, an angry, yet somewhat confused look on her face. The red and white dragon growled slightly; she'd not had the best experience with humans, ever since that night where she lost her dear brother.

Ash backed up slightly, before stumbling to his feet.

"Latias, it's me! Don't you remember me?" Ash yelled quickly, fearing the dragon might attack him. Latias stopped growling, and floated closer to Ash, absorbing his features in her cute amber eyes. The trainer stood still as the dragoness scanned him, hoping she did recognise him.

After a few seconds of circling him, Latias floated in front of him, gazing into his deep auburn eyes. She felt an all too familiar warmth; one that she'd been dying to feel for so many years since the terrible incident. She smiled, and tacked Ash into a hug; both of them crashing onto the ground. She nuzzled his neck furiously, as the sheer happiness of seeing Ash overwhelmed her.

"Haha, Latias stop it, you're tickling me!" Ash chuckled, sprawled under the red and white legendary. Latias stopped her nuzzling and levitated, helping Ash up at the same time. At that point, Brock and Dawn had managed to catch up; at the sight of Latias, Dawn immediately froze.

"A-Ash? Is that a…a Latias?" she whispered, shocked once more. Ash turned to her, smiling proudly at the fact he'd befriended a legendary.

"Yep. Latias, meet Dawn. Dawn, meet Latias," he introduced them. Latias backed up cautiously, hiding behind the trainer, causing confusion to stir in the boy; normally the dragon wasn't this shy. 'That night must have really shaken her up,' he concluded. He faced Latias, patting her neck gently, earning a coo from the dragon.

"Latias, it's ok. She's a friend of mine," Ash explained kindly. Latias poked her head out from behind Ash, staring at Dawn intently. Her empathic ability gave her nothing but positive emotions from the girl. The dragoness gave a cheery smile, and revealed herself fully, rising above Ash.

"She's a little nervous around meeting new people, since two members of team rocket killed her brother long ago," Ash said sadly. Latias looked down at the floor, not wanting to face anyone. She hovered closer to Ash, hoping the boy would be of some comfort.

"But hey, it's Christmas! We should be celebrating!" Ash exclaimed cheerfully. Latias smiled at the boy; still the same Ash she loved. She blushed at the thought and gave a squeal of agreement.

"Before we get to celebrating, don't you think that we should let Bianca and Lorenzo know we're here? They did invite us, after all," Brock said; now it was Ash's turn to blush.

"Heh, yeah, I guess we should," Ash chuckled mareepishly. Brock shook his head, smiling at the boy. Dawn looked on, with a face full of confusion.

"Who?" She asked. She didn't understand a thing; all she was told was that they were visiting an old friend.

"Bianca and Lorenzo are the ones who look after Latias," Ash explained, clarifying for the coordinator.

"Well then, let's go!" Ash yelled, taking off through the snow covered path. Brock, Latias and Dawn sweat-dropped.

"Ash, do you even know the way?" Brock yelled after the enthusiastic boy. Ash skidded to a halt, sending snow flying forwards as his trainers scraped the pavement below. He immediately ran back to his friends.

"Erm…Yeah, Latias, do you think you could guide us?" Ash chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck with his gloved hand. Latias nodded happily, and levitated higher, remaining in sight for the trainers. She set off (in the opposite direction to where Ash was running), and the group followed her.

"You're going to get us hopelessly lost one of these days," Dawn muttered to the trainer. Ash chuckled, recounting all the situations where he managed to get him and his partner, Pikachu, lost; there were too many to count. Pikachu thought the same thing, shivering at the idea of adding another "Ash got us lost" situation to his already lengthy list. The yellow mouse shook his head, staring at the path in front from the best seat available; Ash's shoulder.

…

"I'll get it grandpa," Bianca shouted, making her voice heard over the knocking at the door. When she opened the door, she was met with an exact double of herself, minus the white beret.

"Latias, what are you doing here? You could get seen!" Bianca hissed, beckoning her friend inside. Latias, however, shook her head, before turning around. Confused, Bianca walked past the disguised legendary, and was met with a very big surprise, quite literally.

"Surprise!" Ash yelled, throwing his hands up in the air. Brock and Dawn shook their heads at the young trainers actions, leaving Bianca utterly confused.

"Hey Ash, Brock, great to see you. But you do know that since I invited you in the first place, it's not really a surprise?" Bianca asked. Ash face-faulted.

"Hehe, I guess not," he replied, chuckling. Bianca noticed the blue haired coordinator standing just behind Ash.

"Hello, who might you be?" she asked kindly, but without a smile. After the death of Latios, she was equally as suspicious of new people as Latias was.

"Oh, I'm Dawn. I've been travelling with Ash and Brock through the Sinnoh region. My goal is to become top coordinator just like my mom!" she said, smiling sweetly at Bianca. The brunette smiled in return, before beckoning them all inside, which they accepted with great pleasure; it was freezing outside in the bitter chill of winter.

In the lounge, Lorenzo was stood atop a set of ladders desperately trying to hang the star atop a beautifully decorated tree, with the recurring theme of red and gold baubles and multicoloured twinkling lights. All around the room tinsel was draped; it looked as if a clown had exploded! There were brightly coloured twinkling lights on every surface from the TV to the fireplace.

"Festive," Dawn muttered, glancing around the room at the very disorganised decorations. Maybe she'd take pity on the girl and help tidy them up a little.

"Looks great!" Ash exclaimed, scanning the room in awe. Brock sweat-dropped, shaking his head; great was an overstatement.

"How about I help you with the decorations Bianca? Brock can help with the cooking and Ash-"she paused, glancing at the trainer who was frantically running after Latias, who currently had stolen Ash's signature hat and was desperately trying to escape the raven haired boy.

"Ash is fine with Latias," she finished, sweat-dropping. Bianca nodded, smiling gratefully at the extra help they would be getting.

"Thanks you two. And Ash, Latias, try not to cause too much trouble," Bianca sighed, knowing just how her two friends got at times.

…

The rest of the day went by smoothly, with Dawn helping Bianca sort out the decorations; the lounge was much more festive and neatly decorated, with tinsel draping from the ceiling in places and the occasional strand of lights here and there. Brock was busy prepping food in the kitchen with Lorenzo, teaching the older man some unique recipes that Latias would love. Ash, meanwhile, was lost…again.

Night time had approached as the sun set for another day, and Ash was wandering around the streets of Altomare looking for the dragoness that had stolen his hat. Latias had taken on her Bianca disguise and ran off with his hat, and now the trainer had gotten himself lost.

"Pika Pika," Pikachu said, pointing down an alley to their left.

"I don't know where she is buddy, but we have to find her soon, it's getting cold," he replied, shivering to emphasise the point. From high up in the air, the invisible Eon dragon giggled playfully to herself; Ash was so funny when he was lost. Eventually she took pity on the poor boy and revealed herself when no one was looking. Quickly transforming into her Bianca disguise, she led Ash back to the house.

Bianca and Dawn were discussing something in the lounge, whilst Brock and Lorenzo could be heard chatting about different recipes to use during the party. When Dawn noticed Ash and Latias walk in, she quickly shushed Bianca, both girls had a faint blush lining their cheeks. Ash shook it off and went to check on Brock, more specifically, the food. Latias however, was not fooled, and walked over to the two blushing girls. Slyly, she sat down on the edge of the sofa, curling up into a ball and pretending to be asleep. Just maybe they would continue their conversation if they thought no one was listening.

"That was a close one," she heard Dawn say. Bianca grunted in agreement.

"How embarrassing would it have been if he found out what we were talking about," Bianca giggled. _Embarrassing? What were they talking about? And why were they blushing?_

"Still, you gotta admit, he is kinda cute," Dawn said. For a while there was no answer, and Latias was growing worried that they had found out about her eavesdropping. Luck was on her side, as Bianca eventually spoke.

"Okay, I guess he is just a little bit cute. But it would never work," she said, a hint of sadness present in her voice. _Who was kinda cute? Who were they talking about?_

"You don't need something long term. All you need is a little bit of this," she heard Dawn say as she felt her rummage in her pocket. From her position, she couldn't see what Dawn had produced from her pocket, but whatever it was, it made Bianca give an audible gasp.

"Dawn you tease, where did you get that?" Bianca giggled. _What did Dawn have that had Bianca so happy?_

"I have my sources. Now where can we put this? It needs to be somewhere inconspicuous," Dawn grinned slyly. Latias felt her weight shift, and knew that both girls had just gotten off the sofa, and judging from the footsteps, had left the room, leaving Latias on her own._ What were the two girls planning?_

"Ash don't eat that it's very-!" Brock shrieked. Moments later, it was accompanied by Ash screaming at a pitch that would make a Loudred jealous.  
"ITSHOTITSHOTITSHOT!"He yelled, running around frantically. Latias peaked open her eyes to see Ash fanning his tongue from the doorway to the kitchen. Brock wandered over with a glass of water, which the trainer quickly downed and was begging for more.

"Serves you right for being greedy," Dawn scolded. Ash was still too busy fanning his tongue to reply, as Brock brought over his second glass of water, which he gratefully accepted, and guzzled in a second in a vain attempt to quell the fire in his mouth.

"Wha wasssat?" he muttered, his tongue numb from the fiery feeling.

"A tamato berry, one of the hottest things in existence," Brock said gravely. Bianca was in a fit of giggles, holding her sides in an attempt to stop the pain in her stomach.

"How are you feeling now?" Lorenzo asked genuine concern in his voice. Unlike the others, he was actually concerned over the boy's welfare. Ash shook his head, his tongue still lolling out of his mouth.

"Hot," he muttered. Latias giggled quietly to herself.

…

The rest of the evening went by smoothly, with everyone relaxing in the living room. Latias stayed in her Bianca disguise all night, so she didn't accidentally break anything in the house by switching to her normal form. Pikachu decided to take a nap on the sofa; the mouse spread itself out across as much of the sofa as possible so nobody else had any room. Brock and Lorenzo had finished their Christmas dinner preparations and were relaxing and discussing different recipes for various Pokémon.

Bianca and Dawn spent the evening wandering around the house as if they were looking for something, yet when anyone inquired to what they were doing, they immediately denied doing anything, using the excuse that they were exercising. And Ash was busy staring at the presents under the tree, willing the clock to go faster.

"Hey Bianca, where are we going to sleep?" Dawn asked, as she and Bianca wandered into the living room. Seeing that the sofa was full of Pokémon, they both sat on the floor.

"Well, we have one guest bedroom with a bunk bed. Then there's the sofa, so it'll be up to you to decide where everyone goes."

"I call top bunk!" Ash suddenly exclaimed, jumping up from underneath the tree. Dawn put her hands on her hip, pouting at the trainer.

"Ladies first Ash," she muttered. Ash looked confused, unfamiliar with the phrase. Brock just shook his head.

"Ash, Dawn, you take the guest room. I'll take the sofa. I need to be up early anyway to start cooking dinner," Brock resolved. Dawn smiled gratefully at the breeder.

"Well that's that settled. Latias, where are you going to sleep?" Ash asked the half asleep Pokémon. She responded with a yawn, and walked off up the stairs to Ash's amazement. Did they have an extra room for Latias?

"She must've left something…" Bianca muttered. Then again, what exactly would the dragoness leave behind?

"She'll be fine. Now, should we all get to bed? It's getting late, and we want to be up bright and early tomorrow," Lorenzo said, yawning. Everyone nodded in agreement, with the exception of a sleeping Pikachu. Brock sweat-dropped; looks like he was going to have a rough night. The breeder gingerly sat on the edge of the sofa, trying not to disturb the little mouse. Everyone else proceeded up the stairs, saying their goodnights before wandering off to their different bedrooms.

When Ash and Dawn reached theirs at the end of the hallway, they were met with a fairly big, and for one person, embarrassing surprise. On the top bunk of the bunk bed lay Latias, fast asleep. Dawn giggled, finding the situation hilarious.

"Latias must want the top bunk as well…Or maybe she just wanted something else," she giggled, winking at Ash. The trainer didn't understand her joke, so he stood there confused, waiting for an explanation.

"Just get in bed. I'm sure Latias won't mind sharing," she said with a sigh; Ash is the densest person she'd ever met. Ash nodded, before proceeding to climb into the top bunk. Shyly, he lay down next to the sleeping dragoness, as Dawn climbed into the bottom bunk, still giggling.

"Night Dawn," Ash muttered. Dawn stopped giggling long enough to form a response.

"Night Ash. Sleep well," she started giggling again, as she flicked off the light at the side of her bunk, leaving the room in darkness.

…

The sun rose high above the city, bathing the snow laden streets in a golden glow. The bells of the church began chiming, rejoicing at the special day known as Christmas. In a house on the outskirts of the water city, Latias was the first to awake. Fluttering her eyes open, she spied the first beams of the sun, peeking through the curtains of the bedroom. When she attempted to move, she found her arms were stuck. Eyes fully open, she turned her head, glancing at the sleeping boy next to her. She smiled, seeing the boy so peaceful. Then she noticed her arms were wrapped tightly around the boy, causing the dragoness to blush slightly. That would explain the lack of movement in her arms. Gingerly, she unwrapped them from Ash's torso, and carefully climbed out of bed, so as not to disturb either human.

Unfortunately for her, Dawn was already awake, and witnessed Latias and Ash's closeness. Smiling slyly, she announced her presence.

"Good morning Latias. I take it you slept well?" she asked, smirking at the blushing girl. Latias gave a shy nod, backing out of the room slowly, not wanting to pursue the particular topic. Dawn giggled to herself; this was going to be a fun day. She climbed out of bed, following Latias down the stairs. Unsurprisingly, Brock was already hard at work cooking frantically in the kitchen with a rather drowsy Lorenzo watching, a vacant expression on his face at being woken up so early.

Bianca was reading a magazine on the sofa, and Pikachu was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he was in the kitchen attempting to get some food.

"Morning you two. I take it Ash is still asleep?" Bianca asked, raising her head from her magazine. Latias nodded, giving a happy wave to her long time friend.

"Yeah, Ash tends to sleep in late. That is, until Pikachu wakes him up with several hundred volts of electricity," She explained. Bianca giggled, as Latias ran back up the stairs in an attempt to wake the poor boy before Pikachu did. All that electricity couldn't be healthy for him.

Rushing through the door, Latias started shaking Ash gently. When the boy failed to acknowledge her, she shook more violently; still no response from the sleeping boy. He could sleep through an earthquake. Eventually, Latias sighed and resorted to using a quick psychic to interrupt his dream. The sudden intrusion of his mind was enough to stir the unsuspecting boy. Smiling at her accomplishment, Latias climbed off the bed and stood in the middle of the room, waiting for the boy to fully wake up.

"Still not awake?" A voice asked. Latias spun around, seeing Dawn stood in the doorway. Latias shook her head, turning back to the boy. Dawn walked past Latias, climbed the bed and leant next to the boy's ear. Taking a deep breath, she shouted.

"ASH! BREAKFAST!" Ash's eyes shot open, and in a second flat, he sped out the room and down the stairs, startling Bianca who had returned to reading her magazine.

"Where's breakfast?" he asked, his mouth watering at the prospect of food. Bianca shook her head.

"Breakfast isn't ready yet. Merry Christmas by the way," Bianca said, confused. Ash's face dropped, and muttered "Merry Christmas" to Bianca, before sitting glumly on the sofa. Latias and Dawn came down the stairs giggling at Ash's reaction to the word breakfast. Ash would do anything for food; he ate like a Snorlax.

"Morning Ash. Sorry about lying to you," Dawn said between giggles. Ash sighed, fed up of being woken so rudely. If it wasn't electricity, it was a coordinator yelling lies into his ear.

"Morning," he muttered. Dawn walked next to the boy, patting him on the shoulder.

"Cheer up. At least you get to open your presents now," she said. Ash's eyes widened and he rushed over to the tree, eying the presents underneath. Dawn giggled once more, and Bianca just returned to her magazine, very confused.

…

The day continued with Brock and Lorenzo cooking in the kitchen. Everyone had opened their presents already. Dawn had gotten a Piplup scarf and gloves set from Ash, and some special water Pokémon food from Brock. Bianca had even given the girl a gift, buying her a set of earrings with Latias and Latios etched into the circular designed golden rings.

Ash got a Latias pendant from Bianca. When he had opened it, Bianca gave him a quick wink, confusing the dense boy. Ash had given Bianca a painting set, full of different coloured paints and brushes, as well as some blank canvases to paint on. Dawn had gotten Ash a Pikachu figure carved out of wood, and Brock had given Ash some electric type Pokémon food.

Pikachu had gotten a bottle of ketchup…from Ash, Brock and Dawn…He'd be drinking ketchup for the rest of the day. Ash had bought Brock a Pokémon cook book, full of recipes for the budding breeder to try out. Dawn had embarrassingly given him the same present, and apologised, explaining that she and Ash shopped separately. Brock didn't seem to mind; it was the thought that counted after all.

Once all the presents had been opened, Bianca pulled Latias to the side.

"I have got you a present, as well as Ash. But to get it, you'll both have to stand at the back door together. Then you'll get your presents," she explained. Latias looked confused, wanting more information. Why did they have to stand at the back door to get their presents? And why did they have to be together?

"Just trust me. Both of you go to the back door and you'll get your presents," she said, walking off to rejoin her friends. Latias watched her retreating figure, confusion clear on her face. Shrugging, she walked over to Ash, silently dragging the boy to the back door.

"Latias! Where are we going?" he asked as he was dragged through the house by the dragoness. Latias gave no answer…since she couldn't actually speak in her human form. Instead, she continued to drag Ash through the kitchen until they reached the white door at the rear of the house. She let go of his arm and stood there waiting patiently.

"What are we doing here?" he asked. Latias shrugged, deciding to wait for Bianca. Ash sighed, playing along with Latias' strange game for now. After a few minutes, Bianca showed herself, smiling slyly as she approached the two.

"Latias, Ash, your present from he is hanging above you," she said, giggling afterwards. Confused, Ash and Latias both glanced up. Latias' face flushed bright red when she saw what was hanging there, however Ash, dense as always, hadn't a clue what it was. He turned to Latias, who was refusing to look at Ash, her face bright red.

"Uh, Bianca?" he asked, turning confusedly towards the giggling girl.

"Ash, that's mistletoe. Whenever two people stand under it, they have to kiss," she said between giggles. She stumbled back into the living room, giggling maniacally, leaving the two alone. By this time, Ash had finally caught on to what Bianca had been planning. He looked at Latias, who was still blushing bright red. The dragoness looked at Ash, who had turned a shade redder himself. Swallowing her embarrassment, Latias leaned in, and Ash found himself doing the same. Closer the two came, until their lips met. They remained lip locked for a few seconds, revelling in this new sensation, until they broke apart, blushing madly.

Unbeknown to both of them, Dawn and Bianca had been watching the entire scene from the door. When the kiss had finished, they hurried back into the living room so they wouldn't get caught. A few minutes later, Ash and Latias returned to the living room, blushing wildly. Ash sat down on the sofa, and Latias remained standing next to the tree; both of them refusing to look at the other. Dawn and Bianca glanced at each other, and then broke down into a fit of laughter. This had been, by far, the best Christmas ever.

* * *

**A little late for a christmas fic, but I really wanted to write this so...here it is, finally. Happy now EliteLuther?**

**I wasn't too happy with the ending, and I had envisioned so much more...but I just don't have the time. Believe it or not, I spent about 5 weeks writing this because I had so many ideas I wanted to include, which most of them, unfortunately were cut. **

**Anyway, I hope you all had a merry christmas. And for those of you who don't celebrate christmas, happy holidays :)**

**Trainer Theta**


End file.
